In the wake of the worst outbreak of missile throwing by fans which most observers in Tbilisi had witnessed in recent times, Ireland travel to Albania today for Wednesday's tie with renewed hope that a play-off spot at least is a realistic target.

Happy with three points, Ireland were also relieved to have escaped from Tbilisi without serious injury.

Gunter Visser, the UEFA delegate, had the neck of a shattered bottle of vodka in his case as he left the Lokomotivi Stadium.

Visser's report will include details of various objects hurled at Ireland players, including a family-size half-empty bottle of Coca-Cola that struck Lee Carsley and an open penknife which hit Kevin Kilbane on the arm.

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Gary Breen was hit on the head by a ball-bearing while John O'Shea had a lucky escape as he took a throw-in amid a shower of bottles.

"Thank God it didn't hit me anywhere else or that the knife was not properly open," said Kilbane. "I felt it hit my arm. I looked down and there was a knife at my feet. You expect intimidation but nothing like that."

The Georgian football federation will at least be fined with possibly a stiffer punishment of ground closure when UEFA read all the reports.

Under the circumstances the Republic's victory was even more meritorious than the scoreline suggests.

They took the lead in the 18th minute when, from Kilbane's deep cross on the left, Carsley struck a post with Damien Duff reacting quickest to score.

On the hour O'Shea was turned twice by Giorgi Demetradze on the left side of the penalty area before making a rash tackle. This prompted some pushing and shoving involving Kilbane which led to the first outbreak of objects thrown. When calm had been restored Levan Kobiashvili curled a free kick inside the near post which Shay Given should have saved.

With a draw seeming likely, Duff's 85th-minute cross was headed back by Breen to Gary Doherty, who nodded the ball past Giorgi Lomaia.

Despite Doherty's winning strike, he will no doubt make way for Tottenham team-mate Robbie Keane, who joins the squad today having missed this game because of his father's funeral.